Countdown to Fun: Part 1 – The Big Brown Box

Hello readers! Welcome to the first in an 8-part series called Countdown to Fun. For the next 8 weeks, I’m going to take you on an adventure as we count down with my four-year-old son Gibbs in preparation for our Walt Disney World vacation in September. I recently purchased the Countdown to Fun kit from the Disney Store, thinking it would be a fun way to mark time in the last few weeks before we leave. I hope you enjoy this journey! You will go along with me and my family as we discover the kit’s contents and unfold the magic. At the end, I’ll wrap up with a post about our vacation. So, here we go!

I bought our kit from the Disney Store online and had it shipped to my home. The kit retails for $99.99 plus tax and shipping. I have a Disney Chase Rewards Visa and an Annual Pass, but neither discount applied to the item. About a week after I placed my order, a big brown box arrived on my doorstep.

Since my son is only four, I didn’t have to do much in the way of hiding the box. I just dumped it in my closet. There it sat for two weeks, unopened, until I investigated in preparation for this post. When I opened the box, the usual Walt Disney World wrapping paper was the first thing I saw. Guaranteed to make me smile, no matter what the day has been like.

Under the wrapping there was another box! I guess it’s labeled to alert employees in the warehouse that all the pieces inside are one unit so that you don’t get half a kit with your order. Makes sense to me!

In the second box I find an envelope and SIX MORE BOXES (to be fair though, these boxes look like they contain fun and magical items!). I decide to open the envelope.

In the envelope are a note from Mickey Mouse and instructions to me, the gift giver. Also included are a set of cards meant to be clues in a scavenger hunt. I can see older kids really getting into this, but since my son doesn’t read yet I think it would be frustrating for him. I’m still deciding if the scavenger hunt would be a good “daddy and son” activity or if we’ll just skip it. I’ll let you know in future posts!

What I do know is that I’ve decided to do one box a week, starting 6 weeks before our trip. We will open the box together and complete whatever activity is inside. I’ll be sure and take great pictures along the way!

Want to follow along on our trip to Walt Disney World? Follow me at @amillertx on Instagram and look for the hashtag #MillerWDWMagic2017. We will be there September 9-16, so if you spot us, be sure to say hello! I’ll see you next week with the next installment of the Countdown to Disney blog series.

(Photos from the author’s personal collection.)

To learn more about Aly and read her recent posts for WDW Radio, visit her author page by clicking the link on her name at the top of this post.